The retirement of independent MPs
Tony Windsor
and
Rob Oakeshott
from politics will likely deliver two more seats to the Coalition at the election.

Nationals candidates
Barnaby Joyce
and
David Gillespie
are in prime position to win the respective seats.

Victory in Mr Windsor’s seat of New England and Mr Oakeshott’s seat of Lyne will potentially free up hundreds of thousands of advertising dollars in other seats the Coalition hopes to win on the NSW north coast, such as Richmond and Page.

Mr Windsor cited health concerns and said he had not decided whether to endorse another independent candidate in his seat.

He said he “didn’t have a clue" about whether Senator Joyce would now have an easy election.

“It’s up to the people in the seat,’’ he said. “I love this work, I love the electorate, I love the people in it . . . but I don’t want to love it to death."

Senator Joyce, who is moving home from Queensland to contest the seat, said he would not take the contest for granted and paid tribute to his long-term rival Mr Windsor.

‘Absolute heavyweight’

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“It would be ludicrous and insulting to Mr Windsor to say that he was not an absolute heavyweight political fighter. I will continue to work as hard as I can to gain the respect of New England voters,’’ he said.

“I wish Tony, Lyn and their family all the best. He is now a private individual and deserves all the respect accorded to someone who has spent 22 years in State and Federal Parliament.

“I was preparing myself for a very torrid fight and I will continue to do so. I don’t take the people of New England for granted, I won’t stop doing the work we have been doing. It will be a tough battle and I will wage as hard a campaign as I had planned."

A recent poll published in The Australian Financial Review showed Senator Joyce’s decision to relocate to New England, the seat where he grew up, and contest the lower house seat could have backfired.

A poll by the resources industry in May showed Mr Windsor would win 49 per cent of the primary vote compared with 38 per cent for Senator Joyce.

With Mr Windsor out of the picture, the equation changes for Senator Joyce and the Coalition.

Right time

Mr Oakeshott, who has four children, said he believed it was the right time to end a political career that spanned 17 years, three of them as part of the first minority government in more than 70 years.

He defended his role in the 43rd Parliament, which he said had achieved important reforms. He said there remained important work to be done in his electorate but despite encouragement from voters in his seat, he would step down.

“I am pleased $10 billion has been invested in Regional Australia and $1.2 billion has been invested in the Lyne electorate. This investment is much more than trinkets and baubles and I would welcome the chance to introduce critics to the real people whose lives have improved because of this much-needed funding,’’ he said.

The Nationals candidate for Lyne, Mr Gillespie, was cautious about his chances and declined to speculate on whether Mr Oakeshott’s retirement would make any difference to his chances.

“The announcement doesn’t change much, but I do respect Rob for what he has done for the electorate in the past 17 years and I wish him, Sara-Jane and their family the best in their next stage," Mr Gillespie said.

“In terms of whether it changes things – that is up to the electorate.

“I will continue to do what I’ve been doing for the past few months, working in the electorate and talking to people."